Then there was you
by Safron Angel
Summary: Neji and Tenten are the Romeo and Juliet of the Business world. Childhood friends with rival fathers, they meet years later, to find themselves in the middle of a corporate faceoff with one another. Pairings: Nejiten, slight ShikaIno and SasuSaku.
1. Hyuga Neji & Tenten

**Author's note: Hi! This is my very first fanfiction, hope u guys like it. This is an AU fic, and I guess I made Neji and Ten ten sort of very OOC. If you don't mind that then read on! Enjoy! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto**

**The Millionaires Club**

_Summary: Neji and Tenten are the Romeo and Juliet of the Business world.  
Childhood friends with rival fathers, they meet years later, to find themselves in the middle of a corporate face-off with one another._

_Rated: PG_

**Chapter 1**

10 years ago…

"Neji! Come on over!" exclaimed a little brunette standing at her doorway. Neji's eyes sparkled with joy at the voice, which belonged to an angel who lived next door. Ten ten was eight, 2 years younger than he is. They were the best playmates and the closest companions. He was tempted to go over but his uncles' firm hand on his shoulder prevented him from doing so. His uncle beckoned him to hurry into the house .He turned one last glance at the girl next door and looked into her chocolate brown eyes as his only comfort.

Hyuga Neji is the nephew of the wealthy business tycoon, Hyuga Hiashi. His father died when he was a little boy and he was raised by his uncle. His uncle has 2 daughters; however he felt that the family business would be better in the hands of his genius nephew. Furthermore, Neji's 2 cousins left with their mother after his uncle and aunt divorced due to the fact that his uncle was always busy with work and has no time for his family. Hiashi was always on long business trips, leaving Neji always alone in their huge mansion with many servants. But fortunately, there was this special girl next door who had a special place in his heart. She was Ten ten, daughter of yet another rich businessman, Kenji. They belonged in the same neighborhood that housed the wealthiest people in the country. The older Hyuga was not too happy about his nephew's friendship with his archenemy's daughter. His aim was to keep Neji in the house at all times and to train him to be shrewd businessperson, in order to succeed Hyuga Cooperation. Ten ten, on the other hand, was a pleasant girl to be with. She was fun-loving, bubbly, friendly, loving, caring and innocent. She was totally unaware that she was an heiress of a multi-million dollar dot. com company.

Hiashi was going on another business trip and bid Neji goodbye. Unknown to them, another party was watching this scene, she is none other than Tenten. She hid behind the bushes that separated the two houses, she was glad that that awful uncle of Neji was going away. This meant that Neji and her could play again just like before. Hiashi got into his limousine and sped away. Tenten could hardly contain her excitement and jumped out of the bushes and embraced Neji. He hugged her back as he truly missed her during his uncles' stay.

Just then, Hiashi's limousine came back and when he stepped out of it, he was greeted by the public display of affection of his nephew and that girl! He was outraged at his nephew's disobedience!

"Neji! Come here at once, you are coming with me to America, away from that that thing!" shouted Hiashi. Neji was caught in between; he did not know who to listen to. Tenten was tugging tightly at his sleeve with anger in her eyes directed at his uncle. His uncle was certainly furious and dead serious about what he said. He had no choice but to release Tenten's grip and walk reluctantly to his uncle. But before doing that, he hugged Tenten tightly and told her not to forget him. Hiashi smiled triumphally at the little girl and pushed Neji in. Neji mouthed a silent apology at her and a single tear slipped down his cheek. Then Tenten knew that her dearest Neji will not be around her for some time. Tenten just stood there and stared at Neji's trail before breaking down sobbing uncontrollably.

10 years later…

Tenten was well-known for being Kenji's perfect daughter. She had everything-brains, looks and riches. Although she was only a teenager, she knew a lot more than any average 18 year old. She is about to finish high school and head for the prestigious Harvard University. Kenji was exceedingly proud of her and her countless achievements. This would show that scumbag, Hyuga Hiashi that the picture not only contained his intelligent nephew but also his equally smart daughter.

"Tenten dear, can I see you in the study now?" Kenji made it sound more like an order than a question. Tenten picked up pace and hurried to the study, leaving what she was currently doing. She was surprised as her father had never sounded this serious before and something must have been wrong.

"Is something wrong, Daddy?" she enquired. Kenji looked up from his study to find Tenten's flushed face staring intently at him, waiting for answers. He knew it was time for Tenten to experience the competitive working world out there.

Kenji replied, this time more casual," Tenten, I am growing old and soon the corporation will need new blood to replace the old. You are my only child and my beloved and I only wish the best for you. I have to tell you something now that you are of suitable age, you are the successor of was appalled, she had never heard her father talk about his company before and furthermore, the very first time she hears about is her succeeding the company. She hardly knew what to do after receiving the information. After all, she was only 18 and only heading for university two weeks later.

"This means, after your graduation, you are to be the new CEO of Kenji continued breaking Tenten 's thoughts. "I know it has been your dream to study law in Harvard and eventually become a lawyer, but we all take things one at a time, we take things as the come and as they go. Tenten, I have never ordered you before in your whole life and I love you dearly, I would never hurt my little girl. So, can I ask of you to drop law and study Business and Marketing instead?"

The impact on Tenten was like a bomb being released and finally exploded, she was speechless. She just continued to stare into air and absorb what her dearest father had said. Law was her passion, her life, her ambition was to be a lawyer but now it seems she was fated to do business.

Kenji knew that it was hard for his daughter to make this decision but for the sake of the corporation, he had to. Suddenly, Tenten replied " Daddy, can I think about this rationally before I get back to you?"

"But Tenten, you are bound to be in the business trade and you are unable to make your own choice. Time for you to absorb, I will give you but not time for you to think of rejecting the title I bestowed on you. Do you see the picture, Tenten? This is your fate and although you are shocked and unwilling to accept, you have to! " Kenji retorted.

Tenten still stood there motionless. Thoughts ran through her mind like a bullet train. Somehow, she finally accepted the fact and consoled herself with the fact that interest in business can be built up and it was only right for her as the only child to succeed the family's business. Kenji comforted her by going over and hugging her tightly. Later that night, Tenten cried herself to sleep.

2 weeks later….

"Are you sure you don't want us to see you off at the airport, dear?" asked Rukia, Tenten 's mother.

"Yes, I am very sure that I don't want to see your tears and mushy words." joked Tenten. Rukia's tears were already visible. Tenten did not want her parents there as she could not bear their tears and knew that she herself would cry too. She loved her parents dearly and could not bear to leave them but goodbye for now was a must. Soon, it was time to leave for the airport. Tenten clutched her suitcase and walked towards the door. Kenji and Rukia trailed behind. At the door, Tenten hugged her mother tightly and kissed her. Then, did the same for her Dad but while hugging she whispered " I love you, Dad." Kenji now knew that Tenten did not blame him for everything. Tenten took one last look at them, told them that she will write often and left. In the car, she pulled down the window and tried to memorize every single feature of her house before saying to herself "Harvard, here I come!"

On the plane…..

"Hello, passengers of flight 474 heading for Boston, this is your captain speaking. We have now reached the airport and we hope that you had a pleasant trip. My crew and I would like to thank you for flying with United Airlines."

Tenten was awaken by the announcement over the PA. She shifted comfortably at her seat to smooth the creases on her blouse. (Finally, I'm going to start university and I promise to do Daddy proud.) With that thought she smiled and left the plane with the smiling stewards and stewardess waving at her.

At Harvard University….

Tenten walked around the campus with big, gleaming eyes that were curious about her surroundings. Unknown to her, almost all the male varsity students were staring at her, admiring her beauty. Although tired, Tenten made a gorgeous sight, she was a vision of loveliness as her brown hair swayed as she walked, her long slender legs taken every step like an angel, her brown eyes looking around the campus. It was only her first day at school and already she attracted the attention of the male students.

"Wow, so this is why I would be at for 4 years!" exclaimed Tenten. She was eager to settle in quickly, make friends and get over the four years quickly so that she could help her father out soon. After all, filial piety was very important to her and she intended to repay her parents' kindness by helping in their business.

Suddenly, she heard screams, shrieks and footsteps rushing in her direction. She wondered what the commotion was about as she turned her head to see. There were many girls, probably students who were holding presents and flowers and running towards her. She was surprised and quickly stood out of the way in fear of being trampled over. She was curious to know what made the girls so excited. Tenten looked on and saw a young man with jet-black hair, and chiseled good looks that were to die for. He was wearing an Armani suit and looked so professional. He had gorgeous lilac eyes and handsome features. Now, Tenten knew why were the girls in such a frenzy. Tenten thought he looked like someone she knew. All of a sudden something struck her, the eyes! Neji, yes, Neji, her childhood playmate was the handsome stranger. And Tenten could hardly believe her ears when one of the girls cried out "Neji!" .So, Neji was here, right in front of her! Tenten was happy yet at a loss of what to do. She had always dreamt of Neji , together with her happily but she knew that his uncle would not be pleased to see her and Tenten had hated that old man for taking him away for so long. She wanted so much to go up to him and tell him how much she had missed him. But, on the other hand, she was afraid that Neji had changed and it was too much for her to bear. Like a flash of lightning, she decided that it would be better if she went to acknowledge him after graduating. Then, she would be prepared, mentally and spiritually.

Tenten then walked away sadly with a tear flowing down her porcelain face.

1 week had passed and Tenten now knew why Neji had appeared in the campus. It seems that Neji, being the genius he is, graduated at 20 and was an ex-student here and had always visited the campus frequently. He was the top student and most eligible bachelor in school. And till now, even after graduation, he still attracts the attention of single female students and is very popular with them, much to the dismay of present male students. Tenten herself is amused by the fact that her dearest Neji has become like a woman-magnet. She has to admit that Neji is truly very handsome.

Meanwhile at Hyuga Corporation…

"Neji, dear boy why have you been?", Hiashi asked his nephew.

"Oh, uncle, as usual to the campus, trying to hook some female who is crazy about me", Neji joked. "Actually, I do miss the campus and I really miss being a student, the girls there are overly enthusiastic about me, surprisingly. They are just little girls whom enjoy my company". Neji thought of his only close companion, Tenten whom he left when he was ten. Thinking about it, he realized that he missed her and wanted to see her again but pushed that thought back as he knew it was impossible.

"Neji, do you know that you are on the cover of another business magazine? I'm really proud of your achievements and the whole world seem to think the same of you", Hiashi remarked. Neji just smiled at his uncles' boast. He knew that in 4 years time he is going to take over from his uncle to be the new CEO of Hyuga' Cooperation.

So, that's it for now! Thank you for reading! Please leave me a review so that I know how I'm doing!


	2. Harvard University

**Author's note: Hi everyone, sorry for the delay. There was a problem up loading the document. Thanks to all who reviewed. Anyway, here's chapter 2. Enjoy! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto**

**Then there was you**

Summary: Neji and Tenten are the Romeo and Juliet of the Business world.  
Childhood friends with rival fathers, they meet years later, to find themselves in the middle of a corporate face-off with one another.

Rated: PG

Chapter 2

"And Mr Hyuga, in what direction are you going to steer Hyuga Cooperation to?" a reporter from Forbes magazine inquired. The reporter was battling her eyelashes at Neji so profusely that Neji felt so amused. 'Yet another one trying to bait me' he thought.

Neji cleared his throat to answer the question, "For now, we are planning to break into the shipping market and try to get at least 90 stakes in the market." He answered confidently and was no doubt serious in his answer.

"Neji.., ermm.. Mr Hyuga, thank you for this interview and may your venture be successful," with that she stood up and shook his hand not wanting to let go. "Anyway, may I call you Neji?" she asked saucily. She came nearer to him and was only a few centimeters away from his face. Neji leaned in closer, so close that she thought he was going to kiss her. She closed her eyes and breathed sensually, licking her lips in preparation. However, just as soon as she closed her eyes, she heard the door opening with gorgeous Neji standing next to it smirking at her. His hand wave signaled her dismissal. She was so embarrassed that she walked out with her head down. The young CEO shook his head in disgust and went back to his desk to work on something. It wasn't that Neji wasn't interested; it was just that he couldn't stand girls that acted so shamelessly, he actually felt bad for them...

On the other hand…

Tenten was holding a big stack of books concerning marketing. To be specific, law books, business also required the knowledge of some laws. This was the favorite part of the studying for Tenten, law was her forte and she enjoyed it even though she was learning it to the minimum. She struggled balancing them, as some of them were about to drop. True enough, she lost balancing the books and they dropped onto the floor. She muttered under her breath at her misfortune and scurried to pick them up. At that moment, just as she was bending over, a shadow fell over her and she looked up only to see a blond-haired girl also helping to pick up her books. Tenten was very grateful to the stranger and thanked her profusely.

"It was nothing, just doing my part to help." she replied. "My name is Yamanaka Ino and I am in the same faculty as you. And this is Sakura. She's a medical student!" she said, pointing to another girl beside her. She had green eyes and beautiful pink hair.

"I guess since we are all new here, we might need each other's company," with this Ino and Sakura stuck out their hands and waited for a handshake. Tenten took it without hesitating and smiled warmly at them.

"So are you guys studying what you actually like or was it a parent's order?" Tenten asked with curiosity. She hoped to find a kindred spirit in Ino and Sakura and as if God has answered her prayers, Ino retorted, "the latter. I have been wanting to be a fashion designer for so long, and it just so happened that my irresponsible older sister had to elope just before she was going to take over the management of the family business. I wanted to hunt her now and strangle her for doing this to me. She knows all along that the plan was that she inherits the business and I become a fashion designer, we had it planned since I was twelve! Then suddenly, some guy comes along and sweeps her off her feet and brings her to Paris where she so irrationally decides to become a full time house wife where all she wants to do is to care for her husband and kids. Sometimes, I think about her and just feel my parents' hurt, she just left without saying a thing and it has been a year since her elopement and we've only heard from her once". Ino finished bitterly.

"Well, I'm a little luckier I guess... I lost my parents since I was 15 and I'm raised by my aunt. She's really a good woman, doesn't force me to do anything against my wishes. So no pressure from my parents, no family business and here I am, doing what I love the most – Medicine." Replied Sakura.

"I'm really sorry about your parents Sakura. And Ino too. If it helps, I am also another victim. My father just dropped the bombshell on me even though he knew, I wanted to do law. He played out the " you're the only child and therefore the family business is in your hands' speech and so here I am juggling these bloody heavy books."

Ino burst out laughing. "You're very amusing you know, I think I'm gonna be enjoying your company."

"Me too." Smiled Sakura. Tenten grinned.

Soon, it was Christmas and Harvard University was holding a countdown party at the campus. Every single student was invited and everyone was thrilled at the idea. Tenten, Ino and Sakura were very pleased too, as it was their first Christmas spent together as best friends. They all looked forward to the party.

At the Hyuga Mansion...

"Neji, an invitation from Harvard has been sent today, why don't you take a look at it?", asked Hyuga Hiashi. Neji walked down the spiral staircase and towards the coffee table. He picked up the invitation and read it. It was to be held at the Campus at 10pm for a countdown and it is a mask and costume party.

"Oh, I don't think I'll be going, after all if I go who is going to keep you company on lonely Christmas night?" Neji taunted.

" Excuse me, the most eligible bachelor, Hyuga Hiashi has a date on Christmas night, for your information. And I would need some privacy. So, I plan to send my nephew away so that I can have the house to myself. Got it?" Neji's uncle retorted to his teasing and playful nephew. Neji got the hint and whacked his uncle playfully on his arm before retiring upstairs.

Upstairs in his room, Neji thought of the party and hoped that it would be fun. He planned on wearing a tuxedo and a black mask which only covered his upper face leaving his eyes to charm more girls. At that silly thought he grinned and with that he laid on his bed and slumber took over.

On the campus….

"So, Tenten what are you going to wear to the party?" asked Ino.

"Oh… I don't know, it is only one day away and I have not decided.' Tenten groaned.

"Why don't we go shopping today for costumes? Besides, I haven't gotten mine too!" Sakura suggested.

The girls then happily left for the mall. They were pretty excited about the whole idea of a masked party. Secrecy was in the air and just their idea for Christmas. They arrived at the clothes section and Ino took liking to a light blue dress and a blue tiara. It matched well and soon Ino decided to go as a Princess. Sakura put on a pink ballet sort of outfit with a short frilly skirt and held a wand saying: "I'm going as a fairy!"

Tenten was still clueless about what she should wear and sought Ino's advice. "Ino, what should I wear? Nothing here is to my liking and I don't think that I will look nice at all! I'm just a ugly little pixie!" Tenten whined. At the corner of Ino's eye, she caught sight of a long flowing white dress that was placed quite out of sight. She quickly rushed there and grabbed hold of it. In the meanwhile, Tenten was still very upset about not knowing what to wear. Ino waved the dress in front of Tenten and soon Tenten 's eyes were on the beautiful silky white dress. It was truly captivating and she exclaimed what an angel Ino was.

"That's right, you are going as an angel!" Ino and Sakura exclaimed at the same time with excitement. In the next moment, Tenten was wearing the dress in the fitting room and it fit like a glove. It was as if the dress was made especially for her. Tenten was so pleased and immediately paid for it.

The girls exited the mall and were walking down the street as they passed down the news vendor. On a gossip magazine cover, pictures of the eligible Hyuga Neji were splashed all over the page. It read that Neji was going to attend the Christmas Countdown party at Harvard University. Tenten 's heart skipped a beat and she was excited at the thought of meeting Neji again. She was in a daze until Ino had to shout to get her attention. They left for the campus soon afterwards, each with different dreamy thoughts on the coming party.

Thanks for reading! Please review! Next chapter will be out hopefully by this weekend…In the meantime, you can check out my other story More than friends.


	3. The Christmas Ball

**Author's note: Thanks to all my lovely reviewers. Hope you enjoy this chapter! By the way, the senteces in Italics are thoughts. Thought I would mention it in case it gets confusing. On with the story...**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto**

**Then there was you**

_Summary: Neji and Tenten are the Romeo and Juliet of the Business world.  
Childhood friends with rival fathers, they meet years later, to find themselves in the middle of a corporate face-off with one another._

_Rated: PG_

* * *

**Chapter 3**

Finally Christmas Eve came and Tenten, Ino and Sakura were all busy getting ready for the party.

"Tenten, are you ready yet? What's taking you so long?" shouted Ino.

"Coming, coming! Don't you guys dare laugh at me, I'm coming out!"

"Of course, we won't! I just know how beautiful you are, so come on out before we run late for the party!" replied Sakura. Tenten took a deep breath and opened the door. At this moment, Ino and Sakura gasped at the beautiful sight before their eyes.

"Girls, do I look terrible? I think I won't go after all." Tenten glanced at herself in dismay after hearing her friends gasp. With that, Tenten started retreating into her room. Ino hurried over and grabbed her hand.

"Oh, Tenten, You look amazing,We gasped because we had never seen any one as stunning as you before! Please go and my dear girl, you'll be the center of attention today!" Ino rattled on happily.

At that instant, Sakura looked straight into Tenten's eyes and said "You look great! You know, for a good-looking girl, you sure have low self-esteem. Believe in yourself, okay?" Tenten nodded and swatted Sakura's arm playfully just as she was being pulled out of the door.

At the party…

Just outside the ballroom, the girls quickly put on their masks. They promised each other to have fun and no matter what happens, they would meet each other at the end of the party and go back together. Tenten wanted to go to the restroom first so Ino and Sakura joined the party before her. After using the restroom, Tenten was on her way to the ballroom. She was excited and thrilled and filled with joy at the thought of having so much fun on Christmas Eve. Every Christmas Eve was spent with her parents, and it was a very quiet Christmas Eve, not like this party. Tenten's mind was filled with old memories and walked blindly towards the ballroom. Just then, she bumped into someone. She almost fell backwards but that someone caught her from falling. Very strong and firm arms held her and helped her up. She lifted her eyes to see who this kind person was. As she did so, the person also did the same. She looked into the person's eyes and brown met lilac. Tenten was drowned in the person's gorgeous lilac eyes, she had a feeling that she had seen them before; they looked so familiar to her. She broke the trance they were both in and the person helped her up. Tenten had a clearer look at the man. He was wearing a black tuxedo that fit him perfectly well and a specially shaped mask that covered his face, leaving his enchanting eyes vulnerable to Tenten's. He was staring intently at her and she was at him too. Later, a loud noise caused them to break the staring. Both of them turned around and saw a few girls running forward towards them.Tenten suspected that they were after him. True enough, they headed in his direction. Tenten could hear him chuckle deeply. She could not help but smile too. Suddenly, he took Tenten's hand and kissed it and said "May I escort you, my angelic lady?" He smiled and his lilac eyes twinkled too. Suddenly it struck her, that pair of lilac eyes again, which means Neji! _"Oh my god, I'm dancing with Neji!"_ thought Tenten in her head.

The band started playing Tenten's favourite song _"Then there was you"._ Tenten blushed and replied "Oh I love this song! And you may if you'll stop calling me angel." Tenten wrinkled her nose in distaste of that mushy name. He chuckled and deep laughter erupted.

"Really, its my favourite song too. Seems to me that you andI have much more in common than anyone else." he whispered. It seems like he was in luck, not only did he catch a lovely lady, this lady is different too. He was delighted and immediately led her in to the ballroom. After hearing his laughter, Tenten had to admit that he had a sexy laugh and she inhaled deeply just as he placed his handon her tiny waist and guided her into the ballroom.

_The song started playing in the background..._

_I been waiting for a fairy tale  
One that I could call my own  
Life used to get so lonely  
Until you came along  
I was always living for the moment  
Nobody knows what the future holds  
And then there was you  
Yeah, yeah _

Someone to share all my worries  
When it gets too much on my own  
When I'm lost without courage  
You're that someone who keeps me strong  
You helped me get to my dreams  
And you're still beside me when I wake up  
Can't wait to wake up  
Ooh

This house ain't a home  
Without you  
My body ain't go no soul  
And I doubt you even know  
And my heart won't be without you  
Just when I thought  
None of my dreams would come true  
Then there was you...

Neji's point of view…

_What beautiful eyes! I think I have seen them before but where? They are so familiar and beautiful. She looks so adorable when she feels guilty at taking me away from the chasing girls. Her smile is enchanting but truly apologetic._

The girls who were after Neji slowly went away but not after letting out a sigh of disappointment at the dismissal of the handsome man. Tenten had never felt this bad before in her life. She treasured friends more than boyfriends and contemplated giving Neji up to them. She could tell that their party was ruined because of this. Besides, she wasn't ready yet. She couldn't reveal her identity to him yet. Tenten looked down deep in thought and finally made a decision whether or not to dance with Neji. Although, she wanted him for herself but she decided it was pointless since she was not intending to reveal her identity to him tonight. Neji was puzzled on why the brunette beauty by his side was so deep in thought. As he led her to the dance floor, Tenten stopped him and grinned her cutish smile and excused herself. Neji was worried about Tenten because there must be something wrong if she was not well enough to dance. He followed her out to the quiet hall and held her gently asking her if she was all right. Almost touched by his concern, Tenten almost did not want to carry out the plan. But she controlled herself and told him that she needed some fresh air. He offered to accompany her but she refused and told him to enjoy himself in the party. He was reluctant and hardly even wanting to leave Tenten's side. He glanced backwards at Tenten very often as he made his way into the ballroom.

Finally, Neji was out of sight and Tenten started her plan. She started to go after all the girls who ran after Neji just then. It was easy to find them. They were at the balcony and Tenten could hear some sniffling from a distance. Gosh! They are crying! Tenten thought. This is serious. Thank god I made this decision and I hope this will make their day. She walked nearer and as they saw her approaching they cried even harder.

Tenten took a deep breath and begin, "I have to leave early and I wondered if all of you were free because that masked man in tuxedo there is feeling lonely without your company." As she finished her sentence, the girls were recovering rapidly from their crying session. They smiled sweetly at her and asked politely if the man was in the ballroom at the moment. Tenten answered yes and they immediately ran towards the ballroom pushing each other out of the way. Tenten was so amused by the scene and could hardly believe that Neji actually had girls who were absolutely crazy about him. She felt so much better than before.

She decided that she still had to wait for Ino and Sakura. Furthermore she could not return to the ballroom or she herself will spoil her own wonderfully crafted plans.

Tenten just started to wander around the place by herself, thinking her life and her future. It was certainly still a long road for Tenten to take. Although she is quite confident in business matters she is afraid that the moment she takes over, the firm will close down because of her. She is determined to do her best in everything she does. Other than her studies and family, everything else will have to wait till she is officially twenty one years old which is in about 3 years time. And there is something that even Ino and Sakura do not know about Tenten—her birthday. Her Birthday is on Christmas Day and that is exactly when the clock strikes twelve tonight. She will be exactly eighteen years old.Tenten is looking forward to the the last year in college and she would be truly able to put her knowledge to practical use as the CEO of her father's firm.

Meanwhile, in the ballroom…

"Neji! What a coincidence! Can I dance with you?"

"No, can I?" asked another girl.

"Can I?" The girls who have been encouraged by Tenten to keep Neji company were asking continuously. This attracted more attention from the other girls in the ballroom and they gathered around Neji once they discovered about his availability as a dance partner. Neji's only reaction during that moment was just a sheepish looking smile. At the smile, all of the girls swooned to the despair of the men left at the dance floor by the girls who could not resist Neji's charms. He did not know what to do, it was so long since that beautiful angel left him in the hall and he wanted to wait for her. But, looking at the situation, he had to make a choice of a dance partner soon before the girls all wanted a piece of him. He scanned at the wide variety to choose from and immediately chose a brunette who had been looking so ardently at him.

At the other end of the ballroom…

Ino and Sakura were sitting down playing with their glasses of Champaign with Ino complaining.

"Geez, no one has asked me to dance yet. Do I look awful Sakura? How come no one's dancing with me?"

"You look great Ino! No one's asked me too!" said Sakura with disappointment in her voice.

While they were complaining to each to other, a tall guy clad in metal sauntered towards the girls.

"May I have this dance, princess?" he asked Ino.

"S..su..sure.." Ino replied, shocked that someone asked her to dance. "I'll be right back." She whispered to Sakura. The knight in shining armor whisked Ino off her feet onto the dance floor.

_"Oh wow…this guy is so cool…but why is my heart beating so fast!"_ thought Ino to herself.

"Oh great, everyone has a dance partner except me…" muttered Sakura to herself.

"Well now you do." a deep, sexy voice whispered out of no where into her ears.

"CRRASSH!"

Sakura dropped the glass she was holding and fell off her chair in shock. Everyone stopped dancing and turned to look at her. _"Oh gosh! He actually heard me talking! What an embarrassment! Who the hell was that! What am I going to do!"_ a panicked Sakura thought to herself. She was on the verge of tears. How could this happen to her on her very first Christmas party in Harvard! Thank god she had a mask on, if not, she wouldnt want to be seen in Harvard anymore.

"Hey are you alright?" the same sexy voice asked her. Sakura looked up and green eyes met onyx eyes. _"Wow, that's the nicest eyes I've ever seen! He smells so nice…"_ Sakura thought while staring at the masked stranger. The stranger was leaning really close to her and their mouths were millimeters apart. Sakura gulped and continued staring at the stranger in a trance. Suddenly he spoke and broke Sakura's trance.

"I see I've scared this lovely fairy here. It's alright now, I'll fix that." he said to the people staring at them and everyone went back to their activity. Sakura just stared. Before she could protest, he carried her bridal style and walked out of the ballroom into the enchanted garden. _"Oh man… how embarrassing could this get! This is going to be a very long night!"_ thought Sakura.

While this scene was playing in the ballroom, Tenten was in the balcony all alone by herself. She admired the beautiful night sky with their stars sparkling brightly and the majestic moon illuminated against the dark sky. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Sakura being carried into the garden below her by a guy. She continued spying on them and giggled to herself when she saw the guy asking Sakura for a dance under the moonlight. She could see Sakura hesitating and probably blushing. _"I gotta ask her for the juicy details later on!"_ thought Tenten. Tenten thought of how romantic it would be if she could dance with her loved one right at the moment at the same place.

Then, as if her thoughts came true, a mysterious man came towards her and said "May I have this dance?" Tenten was shocked beyond words and pleased at the same time. She did not exactly have a boyfriend then and did not know if Neji was considered one. Whenever, she saw Neji, her heart would skip a beat and she felt light-hearted. She often dismissed such thoughts as no matter how handsome Neji was, he was her dearest childhood friend and she could hardly think of Neji in such a way. Tenten blushed lightly and without hesitating she accepted the hand of her new found dance partner. She looked into his eyes and boy were they gorgeous, they were almost on par with Neji, only that Tenten preferred Neji's as they were very loving and caring eyes. She gazed into his eyes and danced to the sound of nature --- the rustling of leaves and the soothing sound of the light and cool breeze.

It felt so right there in his arms and Tenten never wanted to stop dancing with the mystery man. Then, they finally came to a stop, where the man slowly and gently took Tenten's mask off and Tenten did the same. When both finished, two beautiful faces faced each other and smiled sweetly. The mystery man was certainly not Neji but a senior of Tenten's. He too was in the same faculty as Tenten and his name was Uchiha Itachi. Tenten never thought that Itachi's eyes were so captivating. She thought His eyes are so perfect, funnyshe did not notice them before Tenten only knew him by name but not personally. He was quite a popular senior too. They were acquainted after the dance and kept each other company throughout the night.

Soon, the party ended with everyone in the ballroom unmasking their partners and almost everyone happily singing to the Christmas jingles. It was a truly wonderful and a spirited Christmas. Both Ino and Sakura enjoyed themselves thoroughly and went off to look for Tenten. Later, they found Tenten in the balcony with Itachi happily chatting away with Itachi smiling shyly whenever he looked at Tenten. Ino looked and immediately knew that Itachi was in love with Tenten and Tenten did not know it. Sometimes Tenten can be so slow in observation

Ino and Sakura went forward and greeted Itachi, then left with Tenten with them.

Tenten was happy to see her best friends but reluctant to leave Itachi. While talking to the girls about Itachi, she used Ita-kun to address him.

Ino said "Wow, you must really have it bad for him, fancy calling him by his "only-close-friends-call-me- by that-name" name."

Tenten was defensive and replied "Itachi is a nice guy and we are going to be good friends with him!"

"But, he is a boy! And girls do not have close friendships with boys; girls have LOVE relationships with boys!" giggled Sakura.

"Aww… Sakura, don't be silly! Ita-kun is not going to be my lover, he is a good friend! I swear it!" replied Tenten.

Ino looked unbelievingly at her good friend and silently made her swear a fake one as she knew that one day Tenten would be taking back her words.

"And Sakura! Speaking of guys, who's that guy dancing with you under the moonlight. How romantic!"

"What guy!" piped Ino, her curiosity rousing.

Sakura blushed a deep red and said: " Y..y..you s..saw t..that? Oh, he's a really nice guy. His name is Sasuke and he's doing law. By the way, he's your Itachi's younger brother. And he asked me out for a date after we danced." She added the last part quietly. However Ino's sharp ears caught it and she squealed.

"Oh my! Really! That's great! Shika-kun asked me out too! Maybe we can double date or something! And wow, you gals are dating two brothers!"

"Uh huh! Ino! You didn't mention anything about a Shika-kun! Who's that! And I AM NOT dating Itachi, Ino... But I wont say the same for Sakura!"said Tenten smiling.

"Hey..." retorted Sakura.

Ino blushed and replied: "He's in our faculty too Tenten, doing business. He's so sweet and cute and…."

The girls left the party with Ino praising her Shikamaru non-stop and the girls teasing each other about their dancing partners.

* * *

Thanks for reading! Please review! This is the longest chapter I've written so far…I hope you guys like it! And the song I've used is Then there was you by Liberty X. Great song! Love it! 


	4. The Decision

**Author's note: Thanks to all my lovely reviewers. Hope you like this chapter! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto**

**Then there was you**

_Summary: Neji and Tenten are the Romeo and Juliet of the Business world.  
Childhood friends with rival fathers, they meet years later, to find themselves in the middle of a corporate face-off with one another._

_Rated: PG_

**

* * *

Chapter 4 **

A cold and bright Christmas morning greeted Tenten as the radiant rays of the sunlight shone through the half-closed curtains. Sunlight fell on Tenten's face and it caused her to glow beautifully. Soon, Tenten stirred under the comfortable blankets and opened her eyes slowly. A smile danced upon her lips as the memory of last night's party came directly into her mind. Her long, slender fingers reached out for her alarm clock by her bed and she glanced at the time. It was early for a Christmas morning, after all she was used to lazing in bed till her mother came and tempted her with the glorious food that awaited her once she got out of bed. After checking out the time, her fingers returned to rub the sleepiness out of her eyes. Tenten sat up and threw the covers over her body; she did a long stretch which was accompanied by an equally long yawn. Boy was she exhausted. But she was never too tired to present the Christmas gifts to Ino and Sakura.

After washing up, Tenten changed out of her pajamas into something presentable enough to walk around the campus with. She grabbed Ino's and Sakura's gifts and walked towards the door. But just then, she remembered that it was always better to carry some sweets and candies along with her, just in case she met some friends who were not as close. It would not be nice to walk away from someone whom she knew without giving something to the person. And this rule applies that day, Christmas Day! After pondering for a few seconds, she stuffed some candies and small gifts that she bought for that purpose into her bag. Then, immediately after she locked her door and was on the way to the main corridor, which led to Ino's room, she walked into someone. Tenten was her usual apologetic self and apologized to the person without looking up. Just as she was about to leave, the person, whom she collided with, said something.

"Tenten, glad to see you up early!" the person certainly owned a very cheerful voice. Tenten turned around and saw that Uchiha Itachi was standing right in front of her. She was speechless. What was he doing her in the girls' dormitory early in the morning? Seeing her surprised look, Itachi quickly answered to her thought. The reason was that he persuaded the charge to let him in, as he wanted to give a Christmas present to his girlfriend.

Tenten's mind screamed _"He has a girlfriend! Then what was he doing with me last night?"_

Then again, just as if Itachi could read her thoughts, he said softly "I lied about the girlfriend thing. I just wanted to get through so as to pass you something which is none other than this." He then presented a beautifully wrapped box to Tenten and urged her to open it. Tenten who was silent throughout the whole thing was certainly and absolutely surprised at the tricks that Itachi had up his sleeve.

Tenten did as she was told obediently and to her amazement, the most beautiful piece of jewelry was found in the box. An exquisite silver necklace with a heart shaped pendant sparkled in Tenten's eyes. On the pendent was an engraving in pink. It read "Amour, Merry Christmas". Tenten was astonished!

"_Didn't Amour mean my love? What was he hinting at?_ " she thought. Immediately, Tenten found the motive to talk.

She exclaimed, "Itachi, this is beautiful but I cannot accept this! It is too special to be given to me!"

With this, she hurriedly placed the box and its contents into his hand. Itachi looked disappointed and hurt, his charming smile took a plunge and he wasn't smiling anymore. Tenten saw this but she was adamant about her decision. She knew it was expensive and too romantic to treat it as a gift for platonic friends. Even though Uchiha Itachi was from a more than well- to-do family, she simply did not want to take advantage of his generosity. Tenten quickly thanked him for his kind act and amusingly left him some candies in the open palm that held the opened box. She felt the need to be nice every time he was around. Tenten then took this chance while he was still in shock and left him quietly at the corridor, briskly walking to Ino's room.

Itachi was truly in the state of dejection, he was sad. But he silently swore that he would win Tenten's love. Maybe it was because he was moving too fast on her. After last night he had fallen completely in love with her and he wanted to make his feelings known. But he did not quite know how, he had to go one step at a time. This time, he had to do it right. He could not stand feeling miserable over his beloved.

Tenten soon reached Ino's room and was had all sorts of feelings. It was obvious that Uchiha Itachi was interested in her and it was part of the wooing process. But she just felt that he was moving at a rather fast pace. Besides, she swore that she would not be in love with Itachi. He proved himself a dear friend and a friend worth keeping. She would not want to risk what they have as friends because of her rejection. Now, she feared that she had already hurt him badly. Oh! She simply felt horrible. Tenten had to pour everything out to Ino and Sakura. In the mist of her busy thoughts, just when she was about to knock on the door, Ino opened the door. And she was pleased to see that Sakura was in Ino's room too. At the soothing sight of her best friends, Tenten wasted no time in throwing herself at her dear friends.

"Ino! Sakura! I feel so Arrgh….. ! I can't describe this feeling!" Tenten cried. Both girls hugged her back and brought Tenten into the room. It took a while for Tenten to calm down and all this while she was silently moaning over the incident with her head lying in the crook of Ino's neck. Sakura was comforting her by stroking her long, brown hair.

Finally, Tenten decided to talk. She sat up and spoke softly; she then described the incident vividly and with her hands, animating the movements. Ino and Sakura looked on with concern and also with amusement as Tenten did look adorable when she was flustered. Soon, the description was over and Ino immediately laughed out loud.

"What are you laughing at?" Tenten asked furiously.

"Yeah Ino! Its not funny! This could get serious!" Sakura scolded.

"I cannot believe that such an encounter can be so amusing to you! This is serious. I am not a player and I really don't want to lead him on. But then again it is really flattering to have such a guy wooing me." moaned Tenten

She then sat up straight suddenly, scaring Ino by her sudden seriousness.

"No, no, no. Stop Tenten. Stop harboring such awful thoughts!" She muttered to herself. She then shook her head roughly and looked at Ino and Sakura.

"So…. What should I do?" Tenten asked her friends. Ino pretended to be in serious thought.

"Well if you do not like him in that way then just act normally and if he gets too close for comfort…, then I guess you will have to let him know that you wish for the both of you to be good friends." suggested Sakura.

Upon hearing that, Tenten wrinkled her nose. She shook her head.

"But wouldn't that be awfully terrible by not letting him know my real feelings in the first place. I would be intentionally giving him the wrong idea that I wanted us to get to know each other better?"

Ino got off the bed and stood in front of Tenten.

"Look my dear girl, you have to keep your options open. Things change, people change and feelings change. Somehow, I sense that there is someone holding you back. But whoever this guy is, normal girls do not simply turn down eligible men so quickly just because they don't feel right. They test the waters first. Anyway, you have not got to know him better yet. Who knows? He might be even better then the guy who is subconsciously holding you back."

Tenten blushed deeply and the only face that her mind saw was that of Hyuga Neji.

She sighed and brushed his face out of her thoughts and remembered what she was here for. She presented her gifts to Ino and Sakura. They thanked her and started dragging her out of the room with Ino's hands covering Tenten's eyes.

"Hey…" Tenten protested.

"Tenten, we got a surprise for you!" said Ino excitedly.

The girls then brought Tenten to a small decorated room at the other end of the dormitory. Tenten squirmed in anticipation and was speechless at the sight in front of her. Her jaw dropped. A large, colorfully wrapped package on the coffee table was in front of her. Even more interesting was the small birthday cake it sat beside, on which the words Happy 18th Birthday were carefully written in pale pink frosting, glowing in the light of the eighteen candles that barely managed to fit onto the cake's round surface. Across from her was a table filled with sumptuous food.

"OH MY GOD! How did you guys know!" Tenten squealed.

Ino grinned and said, "We just found out yesterday! Remember while we're dressing up for the party in your room? I saw your calendar and yeah, you knowthe rest…Why didn't you tell us!"

"Oh, you guys are my angels! Well, I didn't think my birthday was that important…"

"Don't say that! Of course it's important!" said Sakura.

"Oh THANK you soooo much! I love you guys! You're the best!" With that, Tenten lunged herself at her friends and hugged both of them. At that moment, she felt so fortunate and content that she managed to find such good friends that all previous thoughts of a certain black haired, lilac eyed man left her mind.

**One year later…**

"Tenten, would you be kind enough to share with the class your winning business strategy that was used by Microsoft?"

Tenten stood up and smiled in acceptance at her Professor. She quickly got into the motion of things and explained the technique that she thought of and answered students' enquires.

True to her ambition, Tenten worked really hard and diligently during her freshman year. She became known for her quick thinking and ability to point out flaws in business plans. In Harvard, her professors loved her because they could always depend on Tenten to make lectures interesting and it helped as well that she was a crowd puller. Her good looks and fame was the reason why twice as many male students signed up for the business class. Suddenly, business class was the place to be.

In sophomore year, all business students were supposed to go for internships. The popular ones those students headed for or were the ones by Kenji and Hyuga Cooperation. Although Tenten automatically qualified for any type of internship, she chose neither. Since it was family business, she knew everything at the back of her hand. She was not being complacent but she decided that since she was going to be working at the company sooner or later, she'll rather use the time to pursue something that she always wanted to do. She decided to forgo her internship and take up a short course in law. An exchange program at New York University appealed to her.

First of all, it offered a breath of fresh air from Boston and of course she could have some quality time to herself for six months, without her father breathing down her neck and of course a nice break from her major. There was no doubt that she enjoyed her major but she always remembered her first love and her favorite city.

Raring to go, she needed to keep her parents in the dark first. She informed her parents that she was going on a road trip. Surprisingly, her father gave his approval and even told her to enjoy herself. It was unbelievable! She could hardly believe it but what the heck... It was good for her anyway.

When the time came for her to go, Ino and Sakura held her arm tightly, not wanting her to leave them.

"Oh Tenten , do you have to go? Please stay!" sobbed Sakura.

Tenten felt really bad when she saw her best friends in tears but she had to make a decision.

"I'm sorry both of you. But I really have to go. This is my dream and once in a lifetime chance. I will never have this chance again when I start working at my dad's company. I'm sorry…" said Tenten as gently as she could.

"Oh, we understand, Tenten. Sorry for being crybabies, we didn't mean to make you feel bad. Do take care. We'll miss you. Call us if you need anything. Email us and tell us all about it." Ino said sadly.

"Girls, you have to let go of my arm before I can go." Tenten giggled in between sobs.

"Don't worry about me, I'll be fine. Ino, you on the other hand have to contend with bimbotic interns who have nothing on their minds except to be the wife of Hyuga Neji. I worry about you actually. But hang on, heck no! You have Shikamaru doing this internship with you." Tenten suddenly recalled. Ino blushed at the mention of her boyfriend's name.

Tenten continued, "Remember Ino, if you do get the chance to meet Neji, you have to call me immediately and tell me about what he's like. I just wonder whether Neji is the same dear friend I had." Tenten sighed wistfully.

"You know, all you have to do is just call him, or just go to one of those gala functions that Hyuga Corp always holds and then you can see for yourself." Ino pointed out. Tenten gave her a look.

"Oh ok, I know, I know, you're afraid that your Dad will find out and wage war against the Hyugas and all that blah blah.. stuff." Said Ino.

"Oh come on Ino, you know it is more than that, a friendship between me and Neji right now is just not in both our best interests. Rival companies' executives "best friends"? Such news will totally cause the Stock Exchange to go into limbo."

Then at that moment, they both sighed and burst out laughing.

"Well, just take good care of yourself ok? And I hope you enjoy yourself there." added Sakura.

"Sakura darling, I will, you take care too and good luck to you and Sasuke!" Tenten replied teasingly.

Sakura playfully whacked Tenten and hugged her. After hugging fiercely, Tenten took her luggage and headed to the Airport. She couldn't wait to be in the Big Apple!

* * *

I've fast forward the girl's time in Harvard a bit cuz it would be too boring to go through the whole 4 years in college. Sorry for the lack of Neji/Tenten action in this chapter. Next chapter would be the months in New York City and then they finally meet! Yay! Goodbye for now:) 


	5. Months in NYC

**Author's note: Thanks to all my lovely reviewers. Enjoy this chapter! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto**

**Then there was you**

_Summary: Neji and Tenten are the Romeo and Juliet of the Business world.  
Childhood friends with rival fathers, they meet years later, to find themselves in the middle of a corporate face-off with one another._

_Rated: PG_

**

* * *

Chapter 5 **

Hyuga Neji paced impatiently in the hospital waiting room with worry, waiting for the doctor to come with news about his uncle who just suffered a massive stroke all of a sudden during one of their countless dailly meetings.

_'"What could be taking them so long?'_ thought Neji.

_'It's been hours since I brought him in and I haven't even seen the doctor since.' _He glowered, his eyes seemingly getting darker as the clock struck another hour.

Finally, the doors burst open and a tired looking doctor emerged, removing her surgical mask and cap. Upon seeing her, Neji stopped his pacing stood up, afraid of what the doctor would have to say.

"Dr. Anderson, how is he?" asked Neji, his voice filled with worry.

"He is stable now. Mr. Hyuga, as you may have already guessed, had a stroke. It's not clear at the moment how much his neurological and motor faculties have been damaged, if at all, but I would highly recommend getting a physical therapist to help him with his day-to-day functions," replied Dr. Anderson.

"That's all you have to say to me? You don't know how badly damaged my uncle is after being with him for five hours? Now you want to pass your job off to a physical therapist?" cried Neji incredulously

"Unfortunately Mr. Hyuga, your uncle was unconscious at the time I was in surgery with him, so I could not be sure what else was wrong with him. I only suggest having a physical therapist to help him get back to his normal routine." Dr. Anderson explained wearily.

"Can I visit him now?" Neji asked. The doctor pointed to a room down the hallway and Neji made his way there cautiously. He opened the door quietly and saw his uncle, pale-faced and looking extremely haggard.

"Neji, my boy. Before you start worrying, I'm fine now. I would be able to get out and go to that important meeting next week."

"What? No you can't! You cant go to New York!"

"Of course I can. I'm feeling so great now. Listen Neji, this meeting is really important. It concerns the future of the Hyuga business. I'm not going to miss that just because I just have a stroke."

"You don't look that fine to me, uncle. Please, don't go. I don't want anything to happen to you. You need to stay here for therapy. I cant let anything happen to you, you're the only family I ever have." replied Neji.

Hyuga Hiashi heaved a deep sigh

_"True, he can't let anything happen to himself. Neji is only 21, he's still so young. I have to watch over him and the business for a couple more years until he is ready and confident."_ He thought.After debating what to do for a few minutes, he finally spoke.

"Neji, I want you to go for this meeting for me in New York."

"What? But I…"

"You can do it Neji, I trust you. I'm sure you wont let me down." asserted Hiashi.

"Ok, uncle, I promise to do my best. And you promise to do your best too and get well soon."

"Alright boy, I promise."

A week later, Neji was on the plane, on the way to the big apple!

In the meantime, at New York City…

Tenten was a happy girl. She was in her favourite city and doing something she loved her whole life. Sure, she missed her friends and family, but talking on the phone with her best friends everyday eased her loneliness. Besides, in just a couple of weeks here, she made a great bunch of good friends. She had just heard from Ino that Hyuga Neji had a stroke and Neji had to replace him in some important meeting somewhere. She silently hopped that she would not meet him here. She wasn't ready to face him, or ready for a relationship of any sort with him. More thoughts clouded her mind as she walked along the cold, deserted street towards her apartment. She thought of Itachi who never stopped trying. During the past year, he sent her gifts, flowers, cards and everything that could be sent, in the hope of getting her to be his girlfriend. She admitted that she was touched when he proposes his love for her, and waited for her after classes so that he could send her home. But what she didn't know was her feelings towards him. Was is just platonic or was it love. Tenten didn't want to rush into anything. She didn't want to hurt anyone, especially a nice guy like Itachi. She sighed and continued walking alone and shivered at the coldness. Finally, as she was nearing her apartment, her eyes caught sight of a tall shadow lurking under the moonlight. Tenten was immediately alert and walked cautiously towards the shadow. Suddenly, before she knew it, the shadow disappeared and someone popped right in front of her. She screamed and lost her balance. She was about to hit the cold, hard floor when the stranger caught hold of her and pulled her towards him.

"Let GO of ME!" Tenten exclaimed in fear.

"Tenten, its me!"

Upon hearing that familiar voice, Tenten stopped struggling and looked at the guy.

"Itachi! What are you doing in New York?" Tenten asked incredulously.

_"Oh god, he looked so damn sexy under the moonlight. His dark eyes are so enchanting."_ She thought.

Itachi pulled her into a hug and whispered into her ears, "I missed you so much."

Tenten was shocked. She was touched. She was happy and she was confused. Shocked because Itachi came all the way here just because he missed her! Touched because of his persistent tries for love. Happy because someone cared for her so much and confused because she didn't know how to react. They stayed in that position for a long time. Finally Itachi broke the hug and cupped her face.

"Tenten, I really missed you a lot the last few weeks when you were gone. I think about you everyday and I had to see you. You're the first girl who has ever made me feel this way. I love you so much. Would you please accept me, Tenten?"

Tenten was speechless and she softened at his words. They were so sweet, the sweetest thing that anyone could have said to her. She didn't know what got over her that night and she felt warm tears trickling down her face. Her face lit up into a bright smile and she said YES…

On Neji's side…

Neji was feeling extremely nervous about the coming meeting that afternoon. He was pacing in his hotel room since six o'clock in the morning. He couldn't sleep; the only thing he could think of was if he made a single mistake, the Huyaga business would be ruin in his own hands.

"I should go get a coffee to calm my nerves." He thought and he dashed out of the hotel to the nearby streets.

Finally, he chose this quaint, little café at the corner of the street and settled down for his coffee. "This is a nice place, it's calm and relaxing here." He thought. While he was busy sipping his coffee, the bell at the entrance tinkled and someone else walked in. The couple seated themselves on the right of Neji. Suddenly, Neji heard a chuckle. A very familiar one indeed. The ones he used to hear when he was a boy. The ones only made by his dear friend."

He was startled and started to look up and scanned the café. His eyes rested on a couple on his right. The girl was chatting and laughing merrily. Her eyes twinkled when she spoke and she looked so beautiful when her brown locks sparkled in the mid afternoon sunrays. Every word she spoke was like music to his ears. She looked so familiar. He had seen her before somewhere. But where?

_"What a lucky guy."_ He thought as he looked at Itachi.

When he was about to turn back his attention on his coffee, something glaring caught his eye. He looked at the direction of the sparkling glare and he took asharp intake of breathe when he saw what it was. It was the locket. The locket he gave his beloved Tenten before he left her. Then it hit him as fast as a speeding bullet. That girl right in front of his very eyeswas the girl he always wanted to see again. The girl he missed so much all these years. He stood up and started to stroll towards her. She looked even more perfect as he edged nearer to her. All of a sudden, she looked at him and he could hear her gasp.

Neji found his way right in front of her and a word which Tenten feared rolled out of his mouth.

"Tenten!" was what he said…….

* * *

Thanks for reading guys! I really appreciate it! Sorry for this ultra short chapter! I'll leave you here for now. See ya in chapter 6! 


	6. One fateful day

**Author's note: Hey guys! Sorry for not updating for such a looooog time. You guys probably think that I'm dead. My worst nightmare came true and my computer crashed twice in less than a week! I wrote this chapter in school and I don't think I will update again until I get my computer back. Hopefully I can get it back soon! This story will be darker and more the mature type in the later part. Ratings will probably change later. I haven't really thought of the whole plot yet, in fact, I don't even know what the ending is. Unlike my other story, I am writing this as I go. Anyway, enough of my babbling. In the meantime, enjoy this short chapter… There's an OC in this one. Sorry for this crappy chapter. I promise the next one will be much better.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto**

**Then there was you**

_Summary: Neji and Tenten are the Romeo and Juliet of the Business world.  
Childhood friends with rival fathers, they meet years later, to find themselves in the middle of a corporate face-off with one another. A story of friendship, love and betrayal. _

_Rated: PG_

**

* * *

Chapter 6 **

A thousand thoughts ran through Tenten's mind the moment Neji said her name. She tried to focus and think of how she should react but her mind was completely blank. Although she had thought of millions of scenarios of meeting Neji and different excuses to shake him off, nothing came to her mind at that crucial moment. Tenten gulped and her head was screaming at her.

_"Oh man…this is not happening! WHAT should I do now? I am so not ready to acknowledge him yet! Come on THINK Tenten! Think!"_

Tenten blinked rapidly, hoping that this was just a horrible nightmare. But when she opened her eyes everytime, Neji was still standing right in front of her. Should she pretend to lose her memory and say she didn't recognize him? No, that is a pretty lame excuse, she thought. Or maybe she could pretend she didn't know him. No again, she was sure he had heard her gasp, not a good excuse. Or she could just act like a total bitch in front of him and make him leave her alone. But then again, she didn't know how to act like a bitch in front of Neji, she would probably faint from fright first or end up stuttering. He would never believe her!

The silence went on for a couple of minutes but it seemed like years to Tenten. Finally Itachi broke the deathly silence.

"Tenten, is this your friend?"

Tenten woke up from her thoughts on hearing Itachi's voice and looked at Itachi. Then she looked at Neji. She wanted to say no.

"Yes, he's my friend." Tenten said. The moment after she said that, she regretted. How was she going to get out of this mess?

"Hi, erm…what's your name? You look familiar. By the way I am Itachi, her boyfriend." Said Itachi and he held out his hands.

There was a moment of silence again while Neji just stared at Tenten. Finally he spoke up.

"Nice to meet you Itachi, I'm Neji." Neji replied as they shook hands. Then he looked at Tenten again which was making her feel very uncomfortable.

"You're Hyuga Neji of the Hyuga Cooperation! No wonder you look familiar. You're on the covers of almost all the business magazines!" exclaimed Itachi.

Neji just smiled at him and looked at Tenten again, waiting for her to speak.

"Hi N..Neji, how are you?"

"I'm fine. How are you?"

"Good."

Silence again…

"Erm…I…I gotta go now… I have a meeting in an hour and I have to get ready. Tenten, its really good to see you again. Here's my mobile number. Call me tonight ok? And we'll meet up sometime." Said Neji.

Tenten and Itachi looked at him.

"Just to catch up." Said Neji uncomfortably.

"S…sure." Replied Tenten.

"Well, I'll see you then. Nice meeting you Itachi. Goodbye."

When Neji left, Tenten heaved a deep sigh.

"Is he your ex boyfriend or something? The way he was looking at you…" asked Itachi curiously.

"Oh No! No..he's not. We're not… He's just my old friend. Childhood friend. We got separated when he went away with his uncle." Tenten interrupted.

"Oh I see. Are you going to meet him?"

"I don't know…you're not jealous are you?" asked Tenten cautiously.

"Of course not. I know I am the one you love. He is just a friend. Why could I be jealous?" said Itachi as he leaned towards Tenten and dropped a kiss on her forehead. However, Tenten was miles away thinking about someone else… Itachi saw that her heart wasnt with him and frowned...

Some distance away from the café…

"I can't believe I actually met her! I finally met her again!" said Neji into his mobile phone to his best buddy.

"Hey hey, calm down. Who is the her?"

"Tenten, my childhood friend! My best pal!"

"Hey I thought I am your best pal?"

"Are you jealous of a lady, Sanji?" chuckled Neji.

"Oh yeah… So did you two talk and rekindle your old friendship?"

"Not yet… I have to go for the meeting, so I left my number."

"Speaking of the meeting, good luck!" said Sanji.

"Yeah I know, thanks. It would be cool if you were here with me. I wouldn't feel so tensed. Too bad you're in France now. How's the business there?"

"Its fine. Hey I better go. Business calls."

"Ok, talk to you later."

Three hours later…

"Thank you Mr Hyuga, all of us are glad to cooperate with Hyuga Cooperation once more."

"Thank you gentlemen. My uncle would be so happy to hear that." Said Neji.

"Lucky him, he has one really talented nephew."

Neji smiled at the compliment and shook the hands of all the directors before heading out of the building for fresh air. Finally the meeting was over and it was a success! Just as he stepped out of the building, he saw a familiar tall, dark and handsome guy with gorgeous brown curls..

"Sanji! What the hell are you doing here in New York! I thought you were still in France?"

"Hey Neji! I was actually in New York already this morning. I wrapped up the business in France two days ago. So I head the meeting went well huh?"

"Why didn't you tell me! Yeah the meeting was great! Hyuga Neji never fails!" beamed Neji.

"Oh yeah, who was the one asking me to accompany someone to the meeting because he was nervous three hours ago?" smirked Sanji.

"Shut up!" exclaimed Neji. Come on, let's go celebrate!

On Tenten's side…

"Ino, you'll never guess what happened!" said Tenten on the phone.

"No Tenten, you'll never guess what happened first!" said and excited Ino.

"What happened?"

"Are you ready for this? Well here goes! I am going to New York!"

Tenten took a moment for that information to register into her head.

"OH MY GOD! Are you serious?"

"YESSSS! The meeting over there was a success and myself and another girl were to go there to help Neji with his paperwork! Isn't that great? We get to see each other again! And I get to go to New York! I can't believe it!"

"Me too! That's great Ino! I'm so glad!"

"Yeah I know! Hey, hang on, Neji is in New York, you're in New York…Did you two meet?"

Tenten sighed. "Yes we did Ino, that was what I wanted to tell you."

"OH MY GOD! What did you do? How did you react? How did he react?"

"Slow down girlfriend…One at a time. I was so shocked, and I am sure he was too. He left me his number and I don't know what to do… Should I call him since we already met each other? I don't know Ino…what will happen in future?"

"Oh…Tenten… I cant be of much help here… It's really up to you to decide if you want to call him. I'm glad I'll be flying to New York tomorrow, I'll be there to support you Tenten! Don't worry!"

"Thanks Ino, you're a great friend. I can't wait till you get here!"

An hour later after putting down the phone, Tenten was still hesitating whether to call Neji or not. Finally, she decided that she would go out for a drink and think about it again. Half an hour later, she stopped outside Jazzy Bar.

"_Well, this place looks good and decent. Guess I'll sort out my thoughts here with a nice beer,"_ thought Tenten to herself.

On Neji's side…

"Hey I've never been here before! Let's try this." Said Neji.

"Yeah sure." Said Sanji as he and Neji walked into Jazzy bar…

* * *

Thanks for reading!

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